Phelan lowered his head. "Yeah, well I'm as real as you are."
CHAPTER 17
"Our colony has been around since humans first stepped foot on this planet," Phelan said. "It was cut off from the rest of them. It seems the founding settlers wanted it that way."
Eron limped along the path as they headed south. He kept some distance between the two of them in case Phelan tried to attack.
"Wait," Eron said. "You said the rest of them? As in, there are other colonies besides mine and yours?"
Since he was a boy, he'd been taught his colony was the only one on Anastasia. But colonies other than his own? And other races? He was taught about the far side of the colony and nothing more.
"Well, yeah. There are five different colonies. Mine is Greater Manthus, yours is Rippon, and then the other three are Banthium, New Anaheim, and Cape Rouge. They surround this forest."
Eron was confused. He had grown up in the colony--Rippon, as Phelan named it, and no one had ever called it anything other than “the colony.” No name was given to it. No sense of identity.
"How do you know all this?" Eron asked. Phelan giggled.
"From school! How else would I know? Aren't you taught the same things?"
Eron looked toward the sky, his eyebrow arched. "I guess not. We're told our colony is the only one. There was never a question of whether there were others or not. Humans came to this planet and settled our colony, end of story. At least that's what I remember.”
"Obviously, it's not the end of the story, is it? I mean, I'm here. Greater Manthus is here. All the other colonies are here. I don't know what they actually teach you in Rippon, but it's not the truth. I wonder what kind of place Rippon really is. We were all strangers on this planet, trying to create a new way of life, not carry on the legacies that forced us off Earth to begin with."
"Where was your starting point for The Selection? I thought I was where it began."
Phelan smiled. "Our starting point is on the far east side of the forest. All the colonies border the forest and have the same distance to travel to Victory Point."
Eron closed his eyes and leaned on his stick. His ankle hurt and now his head hurt, too. Was Phelan right? Were they lying to them in Rippon? Why? Maybe this new boy was the one lying, trying to confuse him.
When Eron opened his eyes, he stared at the back of Phelan, who'd kept walking. The blue skin and green hair mesmerized him. Phelan took a few more steps before turning around and catching Eron looking at him.
"What? Haven't you ever seen a blue human before?"
"Umm, well..." Eron said.
"Really? You've never seen anyone look different than you? There are all kinds of us out here. Not just pale and blue." Phelan shook his head.
"Phelan, I don't know what to say. I only remember being taught certain things. We left Earth so long ago, and we don’t call it home anymore. We're Anastasians now. I assume you are, too, but I'm not too sure right now."
"You're gonna question my heritage? Why? Because my skin is blue?"
"Come on, Phelan, don't get so upset," Eron said.
Phelan took a few steps and turned.
"It's people like you that forced us into our own colony to begin with," Phelan said. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I know you saved me, and I appreciate it. Honestly, I ought to kill you before you do the same to me. But somehow, I get the feeling you won't, so, I'll be nice. For now. If you plan on sticking with me, you better watch yourself. I won't tolerate ignorance. And if you don't carry your weight, I just might kill you."
Eron considered his words. "Yeah, I got ya. You don't seem like the type to do something bad to me, either. Keep your distance, though; I can't be too sure."
Phelan laughed. "Yeah, whatever you say. We need to find shelter before nightfall. Maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself on the way. I've not been around too many people from Rippon."
The two boys continued through the forest and talked about friends, the colony, and their families. Phelan was an only child. Eron choked up when he talked about Timo departing for the Selection.
"So, is he dead?" Phelan asked.
"I think so, but I don't know for sure. I mean, yeah, I guess he is. How could he not be?" Phelan stopped for a moment and gave Eron a serious look.
"What?" Eron asked.
"Maybe he's still alive. He could be. Unless you see a body, always assume he's alive. At least, that's what I say."
"What goes on in Greater Manthus? Why would you have a saying like that?"
"Never mind. I just think maybe you shouldn't forget about him yet."
"Like that's gonna happen. I hear his screams all the time. They haunt me," Eron said.
Phelan let the subject drop, much to Eron's delight. The boys built a shelter near a large tree and settled in for the evening, snacking on Eron’s haynuts and griffle berries Phelan found earlier.
"How about we take turns keeping watch?" Phelan said. Eron was exhausted and welcomed the rest.
"How do I know you won't kill me in my sleep?" Eron asked.
"You don't," Phelan said grinning. "You'll just have to trust me."
Eron didn't reply. Phelan didn't appear too threatening, yet all it would take was one mistake, and his life was over. Eron didn't like those chances. He sat against a tree facing Phelan, intending on staying awake to keep an eye on him. With his eyes partially closed, Eron pretended to sleep while watching Phelan. Much to Phelan's credit, he didn't try anything, and it didn't take long for Eron to pass out.
_____
"Hey, wake up. It's your turn," Phelan said, shaking Eron by the shoulder. The blue face looking at him in the moonlight startled him and wakefulness slammed into him.
"What! Who?" and before he could grab his stick, he realized who it was and calmed down.
"You've been sleeping for a few hours. I'd like to get some rest before tomorrow, too," Phelan said. Eron nodded and the boys switched places.
"How do I know you won't kill me?" Phelan asked with a smile.
Eron replied, "You don't. You'll just have to trust me." Phelan leaned against the tree, and in minutes was snoring lightly.
By the time the sun rose, both boys were awake and again on their way south, seeking the promise of a better life.
CHAPTER 18
Not long after starting their day, the boys discovered a mutilated corpse near a large tree. The skin was dark brown and the face was unrecognizable. Blood had dried on the ground around it. The torso had been ripped open, and entrails and organs were strewn over it.
Eron immediately emptied the meager contents of his stomach. Phelan paled, but controlled the urge.
"What did this?" Eron asked after he recovered.
"I'm not sure. Think it was other boys? He looks terrible."
"The way the insides are torn out makes me think it was something else," Eron said. "If it was other boys, I don't want to get near them."
Phelan looked at Eron, then stooped to check the body for anything useful. "Hey look," he said pulling out a large knife from the belt of the bloodied and desecrated body.
"Lot of good it did him," Phelan said. "Maybe we'll do better. Here, you take it. I have one already."
Eron hesitated, then tucked the knife in his waistband. It felt vile, but it was a weapon. If he had learned anything so far, it was that he couldn't turn down something as valuable as that.
To their left, a deep growl startled the boys.
"What was that?" Eron said. He grabbed the knife and steadied himself with his stick.
Phelan spun toward the sound. "I'm not sure."
The growls grew more menacing. Leaves crunched as something shuffled towards them.
"You're in my home now. Soon, you'll die," a deep human voice said. A large humanoid emerged from behind a tree. It was covered in short, thick black hair.
"Hey! I've seen one of these before," Eron said. "I stumbled across it in the valley near m
y colony. It was strong. It almost killed me."
"One of the Forgotten was that close to you? They stay here in the forest. If any of them try to escape, they're shot!" Phelan replied.
"The Forgotten?" Eron asked. Phelan didn't have time to reply. The creature approached them with arms raised, growling.
"Get out of my home!" it said. It swung its huge arms from side to side, clearing a path for itself. Small branches and bushes snapped in its wake. Eron held the knife toward it with a shaking hand. Phelan unsheathed his knife and took a few steps to the side.
"I've warned you boys many times never to come in here. Never! And you don't listen," it said. It was only a few meters away.
With a quickness neither boy anticipated, the creature rushed at Eron. It slammed into him, lifting him off the ground and knocking him back a meter or two before he crashed into a tree. The knife flew from his hands and his stick snapped as the creature stepped on it. He struggled for air, gasping and wheezing.
Phelan lunged at it, only to be brushed aside as though he were a pesky insect. The boy jumped up and struck again. The creature roared and swung each fist at Phelan, catching him first with its right and then its left in the stomach. Phelan bent over, clutching his abdomen.
Eron struggled but finally caught his breath.
"Please, we don't mean any harm. We're forced to be here. We had no choice," he pleaded with the beast.
"Shut up! I've warned all of you to never come back again!" It lunged at Eron, knocking him down. It punched him in the stomach and face. Blood trickled out of Eron's nose and his upper lip swelled and burst open, blood filling his mouth.
"Never come here! Never come here!" it screamed at Eron. Phelan lunged with his knife. The beast raised one large paw and swatted the attack away.
"Get off him!" Phelan yelled. "We have to be here. Just like you did once! Let him go!"
Phelan lunged again, aiming lower this time, stabbing the creature in the back of its leg. The blood-curdling howl filled the forest.
It let go of Eron and swung, striking Phelan across the face. His head whipped back and blood spilled from his mouth. Eron saw a chance and kicked the creature, hoping to catch it where Phelan's knife was lodged in its leg. He was close enough and the thing roared. Both boys covered their ears against the thundering bellow.
The beast leapt on Eron, pounding him with its heavy paws. It growled and spat on him. Eron tried the best he could to block the blows, but the beast was unrelenting. Eron saw its eyes glaze over, as though in a trance. Blow after blow landed on him, bursts of pain exploding through his body.
Phelan swayed from side to side. He fell to the ground and forced himself up. Between punches, Eron saw his new friend stumble toward the creature. A paw raised and Eron saw Phelan move closer. A paw slammed down and Eron closed his eyes with the punch. He opened his eyes. With its paws poised to strike, he saw Phelan plunge his knife into the creature's back.
Its eyes regained life and it roared in pain. It flailed, trying to remove the knife stuck in its back. Phelan shoved it in further and twisted before being knocked backwards. With much effort, Eron kicked up and pushed the creature off him. It fell, still struggling. Both boys moved away as it tried in vain to remove the knife. Jumping up, it stumbled around wildly, flailing as if still trying to attack them, but they moved farther and farther away.
With a deafening scream, it ran into the forest, crashing through bushes and low-hanging branches.
Phelan dropped to the ground. Eron leaned against a tree. Exhaustion overwhelmed them.
"What was that? Eron asked.
Phelan looked at him, his face haggard. "Come on, we need to go before it returns."
CHAPTER 19
Eron and Phelan left the corpse. Insects had infested it. Eron wanted to bury it, but after their fight with the creature, Phelan decided it was best they move on.
Both boys were hurt. Phelan had a gash on his lip as did Eron, and Eron’s bruises were coloring. Their bodies ached.
"My knife!" Phelan said.
"What about it?"
"It was still stuck in that beast’s back!"
Eron fumbled for his knife and handed it to him. "Here, take mine. I didn't do so good with it. Maybe you'll have better luck."
Phelan took it and tucked it in the waistline of his pants.
"What was that thing?" Eron asked. It was his second encounter with the mysterious creatures, and still he had no idea what they were.
"The Forgotten? The lost ones? Didn't you learn about them? Probably not."
Eron shook his head.
"They're us. Or they used to be someone like us. They are boys who never made it out of here and weren’t killed in the Selection. They get stuck here. Over time, they turn into those creatures. I think the planet itself reclaims them into a primitive state of some kind, or something like that. It's like reverse engineering or reverse evolution. I don't know how to describe it. But you get what I mean," Phelan said.
Eron leaned on the new staff he’d picked up after the creature crushed his other one. He stared at Phelan. "Do you think my brother is one of those things? One of the Forgotten?"
"Well, if he never made it out and is still alive, then I guess it's possible. I wouldn't get too excited about it, though. Once they're Forgotten, they never come back. They're more deadly than a pack of craates. Come on; we need to keep moving." Phelan wiped at his mouth with his hand. The red blood left a purple smear on his blue skin.
After walking a bit, Eron slowed and collapsed on the ground.
"Are you all right?" Phelan said.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm tired. I feel weak."
"We need some food. I'm getting tired, too. Maybe we should stay here and rest. We still have twenty days left to find Victory Point or become one of the Forgotten," Phelan said.
"Twenty? How do you know? I can't remember how long I've been out here."
Phelan tapped a long blue finger against his temple. "I remember. I count the days, like you should've been doing! Don't they prepare you at all in Rippon?"
Eron hung his head. "No, no, they don't. Well, maybe they do, but I wasn't prepared. It doesn't make sense. I mean, all of this. The Selection is pointless. Why send us out here to die? Why the big ordeal?"
"The Selection is a solution to a problem. We have too many males on Anastasia. Always have had since the first colonists arrived. Some believe it was a plot by the original governments of Earth; a cruel lesson to the colonists for leaving. Others say the planet affected human genes, altering them to create more males than females. I don't know which story is true. Whatever the reason, the population is out of balance, and it has to be restored."
"What the...that sounds crazy!" Eron said. He crawled to a nearby tree and rested against it, regarding Phelan with his brows furrowed.
"Call it what you want, but that's the case. In every colony, young males outnumber the females at least ten to one."
Eron shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. Wouldn’t it be easier if they just killed the boys early on? Why raise us only to send us off to die. Seems like a waste.”
"You make sense but I don’t have an answer. You can whine about it if you like. Sulk, too, but it won't change anything. It is what it is, and we have to deal with it. I'm not thrilled, either, but it's our fate."
"Fate," Eron repeated, his gaze distant.
"Let's get some rest. I'll take the first watch," Phelan said. Soon, Eron drifted off to a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 20
"Eron, I miss you. You look so tired. Are you all right?" Mina said. Eron stared into her golden eyes, marveling at her beauty. She was more stunning than he remembered. Her hair bounced as she talked and her smile melted away all his frustration.
"Yeah, Mina, I'm ok. Sort of. I'm a little hurt, but it's nothing serious. I'll be fine soon. I met someone."
"Someone? A girl?"
"No, not like that. I met another guy. Except h
e's blue. Have you ever seen a blue person before?"
Mina smiled. "Well, of course I have! Everyone knows they live in Greater Manthus. They've been there since humans landed on Anastasia. They're different, that's why they were sent there. Didn't you pay attention in school?"
"I guess not. But I found him in a tree. I helped him to avoid a craate attack. I helped him. You should've seen me."
"I bet you were the great hero I know you can be, Eron. I'm waiting for you. I'll be there at the end when you wake up. When you get up, I'll be there. I promise. All you have to do is wake up..."
"Wake up, Eron! Get up!" Phelan shook Eron. "Get up, we've got company," Phelan said in a low voice. Eron scrunched his face and was about to speak when Phelan held his finger to his lips and shook his head. Eron nodded and sat up as quietly as he could.
Phelan pointed east. The first rays of the morning sun were peeking over the horizon. Bright red streaks swept across the sky. Eron squinted and held his hand over his eyes. Twenty meters away, he saw a person. Two others followed slowly behind.
"Stay quiet. Maybe they won't notice us," Phelan said.
Eron couldn't turn his gaze from them. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight out. A chill ran through his body.
“I say we follow them. Best to know where an attack is coming from. If we can keep our distance but keep them in sight, we'll stand a greater chance of not getting caught," Phelan said.
"I'm not so sure about this, Phelan. I mean, that's kind of dangerous, don't you think? Why don't we just let them go and wait a while before moving?"
"Eron, this is a perfect opportunity to get rid of our competition. Well, some of them, anyway. If we don't do this, they're more likely to get us. And they have the advantage with numbers. If we can catch them off guard and strike when they least expect it, maybe we can even out the odds or turn them in our favor."
Phelan bounced as he sat back on his feet. He fidgeted with a small stick, stabbing at an invisible foe.
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